Confronting Challenges in the Borderlands: Inequities Facing Rural, Nontraditional Students as They Persist in Completing a Teacher Education Program

• In Event: Embracing Diverse Ruralities

Abstract

Access to higher education for students in rural communities is not an egalitarian or ubiquitous concept, factors as location and income shape one's potential for participating in new learning. This research elucidates the multifaceted experiences rural non-traditional students encounter attending a teacher education program situated near the U.S./Mexico border. The data for this study was collected over two phases, an initial questionnaire, interviews, and a retrospective. Following the second data review, three main issues were present: 1. Barriers, 2. Personal characteristics, and 3. Support structures. These areas inform the need for increased recognition of the struggles non-traditional students encounter earning a college degree and how institutions must provide comprehensive educational resources meeting the needs of rural, teacher education candidates.

Author

• Christopher Sanderson, University of Arizona